In conversation with Pankaj Kumar, the cinematographer of Rangoon

Often while shooting a film, creativity is key. How do you create a romantic setting out of thin air? Achieve a certain mood, or say, produce a set straight out of the 1940’s? Sometimes, you need to look beyond the obvious, says Pankaj Kumar, cinematographer of Bollywood film Rangoon. Kumar along with director Vishal Bhardwaj and a crew of 400 people set out to Arunachal Pradesh to address a unique challenge. To create a country outside of the actual location.

Set in pre-Independence India, Rangoon the film is “not based in Rangoon” but somewhere along the border of India and Burma. The Northeast of India was zeroed in on, given its proximity to Myanmar and likeness to the border. And the recce was extensive, stretching across three months. “This is a location-based film; a lot of the story takes place in the jungles, near the rivers and vast [open] areas. We wanted a cold, depressing environment, because something dreadful is happening—there’s violence, gore—it’s war time”, says Kumar about choosing a location for Rangoon.

The joys of shooting in the great outdoors

They considered a few options—Nagaland, Sitpura—but it was in Arunachal Pradesh that they found what they wanted. Spectacular, sparsely populated, untouched by modern civilization, and with “vast landscapes where you won’t find electric poles for long distances”. “The setting, nature was just as it would’ve been in 1944.” Most of the shooting in the state happened in villages around the Siang River, like Pasighat and Pangin. In February, when they were shooting, days were short and cloudy (so they got soft, diffused light), without haze, and weather, “so nice you could go on and on.” Accessibility issues meant no crowd gathering to watch, so they could point the camera in any direction they wanted; perfect for capturing the sweeping landscapes.

Kangana Ranaut in the middle of a jungle in Arunachal. Photo: Hitesh Mulani

Necessity is the mother of invention

Locals were very helpful too. There is an action sequence in the beginning of the film, which was to be shot on an island in the middle of a river. There were no boats, so the villagers helped the production design team make special bamboo rafts for the team. Through the schedule, villagers helped with setup, transporting equipment, and even acted as extras.

But it didn’t come without challenges. Reaching locations everyday was a struggle—filled with landslides and dusty roads. During the month-long schedule (about 50% of the movie is shot there), a crew of nearly 400 stayed in Arunachal Pradesh. The lack of infrastructure and hotels nearby meant production had to get creative. Some old British structures near Pangin—about two hours from the shoot location—were renovated to house the cast and crew.

Catching a quick snooze in between shots. Photo: Hitesh Mulani

A blessing in disguise

Nature threw up some challenges of its own. While crossing the Brahmaputra River one evening, their ferry got stuck, thanks to a low tide. “Vishal [Bhardwaj], I and six members of the team were stranded in the middle of the river”, with little visibility and no phone signals. Having been stuck for a few hours, they realised they might have to spend the night on the boat and pulled out their sleeping bags. “Vishal just sat down, took his phone and started composing a song.” The song, Alvida, has been used in the film, and the incident is one of their most memorable.